News
Face Off: Jigsaw vs. John Doe
Any horror aficionado has their favorite villains. Whether you connect to them on a personal level, love the level of gore they bring to the screen, or appreciate the ingenious ways they dispatch their victims, almost any horror fan has, at one point or another, gone to bat for who they think is the best at being bad.
Freddy vs. Jason, Carpenter Myers vs. Zombie Myers, we’ve all had those late night disputes among friends before. I’m just here to put it in writing, and offer a few new pairings to debate. Today, I propose we all engage in a little introspection while we take a look at two men who turn into monsters when they’re made to face the darkness in humanity. Would they disapprove of how you life your life?
John Doe (Se7en) Vs. Jigsaw (Saw)
John Doe
Status: Deceased
Number of victims: 4 (although there were 7 deadly sins, ‘Sloth’ did not die, ‘Pride’ committed suicide, and ‘Envy’ was Doe himself, killed by Agent Mills. Yes, technically Mills was not wearing the contraption that caused Lust’s death, but as with the rest of the deaths, there was always the threat of death if his orders were not obeyed. Someone, one way or another, was going to die).
Motive: Extracting payment for sins
Signature: Each victim’s death is directly related to the deadly sin of which they’re guilty
Best quote: “We are not what was intended.”
Backstory: Not much is known about John Doe, other than the fact that he’s at least somewhat Biblically-minded, relatively intelligent, and was planning his murders for at least a year (Sloth was confined for that length of time).
Sexy factor: Meh. No one’s dressing up as John Doe for Halloween, I can tell you that.
Ingenuity: The clues John Doe left were much more inspired than the murders themselves.
Movies: 1
Final thought: John Doe was so completely invested in his concept that he orchestrated his “masterpiece” with his own death in mind! If that’s not commitment, what is? However, in a city plagued by crime and violence, a mere handful of connected murders is hardly a blip on the radar.
Jigsaw
Status: Deceased
Number of victims: 0 (Jigsaw gives everyone a chance to walk away alive, and has technically never actually killed anyone, although that probably wouldn’t get him far in court. The few inescapable traps were created by Amanda or Hoffman).
Motive: Testing unwilling participants’ will to live, and presenting a new appreciation for life to survivors through traps and torments built around each victims personal deficit.
Signature: Those who fell victim to Jigsaw’s games had a puzzle piece shaped piece of flesh removed, to symbolize they were missing survival instincts.
Best quote: “I want to play a game.”
Backstory: After his wife suffers a miscarriage, Jigsaw loses his happy thoughts and the couple divorces. After being diagnosed with cancer, Jigsaw (at this point only known as John Kramer) attempts suicide, and upon realizing he has survived his attempt, decides to spread an appreciation for life among those who most take it for granted in perhaps the most absolute twisted way possible.
Sexy factor: Perhaps recognizable most by his red and black robes, Jigsaw isn’t much of a remarkable figure. Billy the Puppet has more sizzle than Jigsaw himself.
Ingenuity: No one can argue that Jigsaw’s traps are some of the most physically and mentally damaging out there, and the level of creativity is definitely unmatched.
Movies: 7
Final thought: Jigsaw had a noble, if not horrifying, goal, but ultimately died with his closest mentee, Amanda, abandoning his vision. As Amanda was Jigsaw’s shining star, so to speak, his example proving his methods worked, her admission of disbelief means Jigsaw’s work was essentially for nothing. We got some sickening scenes out of it, though, so who really cares?
The Winner
Although Jigsaw is more well known, has more movies, and even had his own disciples, this isn’t a popularity contest. Jigsaw died a broken, sad man, whereas Doe’s death was the final touch he needed. If John Doe and Jigsaw faced off, it’s pretty clear that John Doe would walk away victorious. Mercy isn’t an option with him, as he proved when he killed Mills’ wife even as she begged for the life of her unborn child. Jigsaw, however, always leaves his victims in charge of their own fate. Doe is a man who willingly skinned his own fingers. He would stand a solid chance at beating Jigsaw’s game…if he chose to play.
Let me know who you’d like to see paired up next time, and of course, have a positively horrifying Halloween!
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
News
Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role
Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.
Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.
“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”
Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.
While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?
The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
Editorial
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.
The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.
We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.
Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?
Scream Live (2023)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
Movies
Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month
Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.
Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.
According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.
Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.
Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.
Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.
While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.
According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”
The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'
-
News3 days ago
This Horror Film Just Derailed a Record Held by ‘Train to Busan’
-
Movies3 days ago
Watch ‘Immaculate’ At Home Right Now
-
News4 days ago
Read Reviews For ‘Abigail’ The Latest From Radio Silence
-
News2 days ago
Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
-
News4 days ago
Melissa Barrera Says Her ‘Scream’ Contract Never Included a Third Movie
-
Editorial5 days ago
Rob Zombie’s Directorial Debut Was Almost ‘The Crow 3’
-
News3 days ago
A24 Joins Blockbuster Movie Club With Their Biggest Opening Ever
-
News1 day ago
Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers
You must be logged in to post a comment Login